Beehive.



G. C. RAHN.

BEEHIVE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1913.

1, 1 1 6,91 9. Patented Nov. 10,1914.

7 SHEETS SHEBT 1.

F l l/ l H H l I 5.

G. U. RAHN.

BEEHIVE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.23, 191a. 1,116,919. Patented Nov. 10,1914.

v 3 7 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

//V VEN TUK G. O. RAHN.

BEBHIVE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1913 1,1 16,919. Patented Nov. 10,1914.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

G. C. RAHN.

BEEHIVB.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.23,1913. 1,116,919. Patented Nov. 10,1914.

7 SHEETS-"SHEET 5. 4.5 45

G. 0. RAHN.

BEEHIVB.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.'Z3, 1913.

' 1, 1 1 6,9 1 9. Patented Nov. 10,1914.

5 77255715: 1flW/ENT0K yaw. I W g 4 WW 5y 2 G. G. RAHN.

BEEHIVE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.23, 1913.

Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

7 SHEETSSHEET 7.

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ci fizen 6f the Uniteci States, rsiding' at.

Haileybury, district-of 'Nippising, Unterib, Cs'uhadmhave invented certain new aiid'useful Improvements in Beehives, of which the The invention comprises a bee-hive in-' vbii'ihg the cohstnu'ctioh' and" afrangement of parts substantially 2L3 here i 11 shown, described eneclei'med, 'Wher'eby'a' eolony or swarm (if bees; ma be protetefl, bred and developed, and also aided in material ways in all the stages of its iexistefice so that a muehgreater supply of honey 'ine'ybe 0b:

- mined from ea'fih eoilony end at less labor In the accompanyifigdtewings, Fig r s 11 to 8 iirehi'sive', s 'hov'v side m mesn a re du'ced scale of the Bee-hive, ezi'ch view sh W- 311g 51 different arrangement of parte'to meet a pdrticuhw condition "01 heed; Thus, Fig. 1 shows the hive sectiens eisemble'd 'fbr brooding and summer .pse b fore the superbbx is reqfii-red Fig; 2 hows same SBC':

tidns, except tha't'a screen takes the place 'of the cap'on the c'over, akelfatio'nship of paits u'sel in; introducing a hew'queen to the coltihy, 3 shows the hive prepared with e feed bott1e as in the brooding season Whenffeed'ing a-Weak colony. 4 ShOW S two brGod-boXes mounted brie upon the other with 1 feed-bottle-inffihe d6 v'e1; a getfiin'gfised iii u'iiitin'g two Week ebl dlxiesfivhen feeding is required, Figa- 5 showe the hive sectiehs assembled for toni'ng' sprplpshpney, onefiurplu box being shown. 'Fi'g'.'- '6'shows chehive-pre ered for swarming 'bees fFig. T shdws a miniature hi'veor queen-mating boxh'nfl niyir'n roved hi'vehdhvepientW re- ]fited v theheto on queen-mating purposes." Fig; 8 "shows the hi'veprepared i6rfwmferin g'; the beeS., Fig. 9 is'asedtidflal View veraim-11y; through thebe'e-h'i've' from front to rein"; the assembled e'len'mfeht s 'beihg the same as in Fig.- 6, mid Fig. ,10 is}; vertical sectibn (if the .s'er'ne birfga'riization on 1inef10-,10,

Fig; 9, whereae Fig. 11 is' aplah section on ljhellel'l, of Fig. 12, and Fig. 12 -isfa' frdnt elevation. Fig. 13 is' a perspective view of the FP'etff tated jpl'at e "for the enigs. "1 1 ifid 115 fire perspective ,Sb eeification of Leifiir m mioatmn fileil-Jenuary es, 101a. eurialm. 743,733.

Patent zeti 10, 1 914.

tihn'al iew f a pbt'tiohhof breed-belt iis' arranged when matin' or introducing a new queen 159 the hive. i'g/IB is a plan View and Fig, 19 a cross section en liri 24 -24. thereof oflthe bee-escape board. "Fig: 20 i j a pe'ifepetlvevmw of'a qxreh eage used. in shipp'ifig'imd mating hew queenfibees. Fig.1 21 1is' a Sectional YiW b eqihyfimprev'ed breed-bee; cover and w iezer-eeg Fig.2?

is. q perspective View pf theiwerming tl'lbei Flg. a; perspective f& ie'W, o'fffl'th'e' ,en-; cremebox arrengee for winter. u wmi Fi 2e i'se. perepeet'iv'e View Qmhe reaemgue;

pfzite' i emoyed from said box. 7 h

"In 1 15116 e "lhilre 6f bees] for honey-'maki'rig', m hhsthe reqmr'eme its call for a sectional:

bbaifllihnd the cb'ver E. In addition I mvidfe'e cap F for't'he Cover and an enmeme-hex G, as WB'H' as QthfIlGW and 1186- v filldefice :iflap'ted to cdi'ipei ate with these parts 1h iibt'zi'i'ning my geill ifi object. The ntrance-box"G is i sub's'tahtially the sanieas :(ieslribd andsh'own in'm'y Letters- Pa't'nt 1 the United Statesheziring Number, 13017333111111 dated February-13, 1912, but thisivokf G 'hashee'n also improved-hi cer min 'pai'iicl.xla'rs as will hereinafteri appear. 5

The, lbbttvm Mari-Now, beginnin'g'with the hottdm bbard A, it is'an i'nverfiiblje nie'xfi-i ber hugihg'ki raised hbrfder frame 2 to?) and lbfttbm 2Q iisual, but differing from the. ondihary base in that the infner'fzices 3 of the weer-frame iue bw'eled as shown and in that this beyeled face terminiites in. a i3'1 i1i 'h1ih011'ld1 4 a few inches back from tli efiend of the sttfiziigh't extension 5 of 5m ektitt Stock l 'sti fluid) the h'al ld hdd rehes s'e sf' this extra stock also'yields the shoulder 5 to afford a stop for a wooden strip which is generally used to reduce the entrance opening for tihe ordinary hive. Heretofore, the strip was easily displaced as no stop shoulder was used. The strip is not shown here ingthe bees to get rid oflarvee and other matter, this trap opening being preferably located midway of the sides of the board and inside of the guard-plate 9 in the, entrance box G, see Fig. 9. j

T he bra0d-b0m.This section comprises a rectangular frame B which is open top and bottom and ofa size to fit and seat upon the border-frame 2 of the bottom-board A, the inner wall of the box coming even with the top edge of the beveled faces3. I The 11 per inner edge of each end of the box is ra beted or grooved to seat the ordinary wirestrung frame 10 for the honey-comb cells which the bees prepare and use for the storageof honey and in hatching theirlarvae.

A series of-these frames 10 fill the. broodchamber B but are spaced apart for ventilation and to give room for the'bees to work. The brood-box B is preferably lined upon its outside with thin sheets 11- of insulating. material, such as asbestos and hair" and ,a nailed batten or border-piece 12 0f wood is rabbeted in two places to engage and over-. lap the top edge of the box andthe edges of the sheets at the sides of the box. Handle strips 14 are also secured to the outer walls of the ,box as usual, but these are preferably. extended or built outward by fastening small cleats l5 thereto to provide rests for a removable winter-case hereinafter described,

The super 07" surpZus-b0a;.-In Figs. 9 and 10, the brood-box B is shown as having a super or. surplus-box C mounted thereon, this section being of the usual construction. That is, it is open top and bottom, and has a grooved top-ed 'e to seat super-frames H which hold the oxes -I-- containing the marketable honey. The surplus-box C may be constructed and insulated the same as the brood-box B, particularly when protection is required against excessive heat in countries where the wax combs areaptto melt and be affected by the heat.

The super-fravrws.Following the usual practice these frames H are banked together and held in place by bow-springs 16, seeFig. l0, and anyof the known superframe constructions, may be used, but I pres fer to employ theconstruction shown a my divisional application, sr. No. 780,37'8.

Briefly, the frames H comprise a removable top bar 17 having slotted ends 18 adaptedto slip over hooks 19 rigidly secured to the upright ends of the three-sided body 20 of the frame. Small wedges 21 are used to clamp the top-bar in place, and therethrough one or more honey-boxes I also. Removable fences 23 separate. the frames H and the honey-boxes I. The ledges 24 at the bottom of each super-frame end supportthe fences,

and the projecting pins 25 at the outer ends of the frame guide and center the frame in the super box C, see F 9.

The bee-escape boa rd.'lh e tion D which is mounted upon the'surplusbox C, Figs. 9 and 10, comprises a board having a raised border-frame 26 of substantially the same width as thewalls of the other sections. centrally of this board, which is covered by a, thin perforated metal plate 28, the perforations being merely large enough for the passage of the workers of .the colony and too small for the larger queen and drones A passage 29 is also provided through the border-frame 26 at thefront for the work? er's, this passage communicating with the outside and having a perforated guardplate-30 designed to bar the passage of the cplleen and the drones. A recess 31 'is furt er. provided in border-frame 26j at a central point at the front of board D.

T he swarming and d'rone-catckz'ng'tube.- Recess 31 in board D afiords aseat for the;

tubular elbow 32 which forms part of the wire-mesh tube 33, Figs. 22 and 9. Theout let end of the elbow 32 opens into the inner, space "of'the bee-escape board when the. parts are assembled as in Fig. 9, and a seriesofv perforations 34 of a'predetermined size'fin.

the top of'the elbow permit only the work-. ersto escape when trapped. WVithout such means of escape, the workersmight block'upl e made off this passage. Tube 33 may wire-cloth coiled wire, glass, celluloid, or

- any material adapted or made, to let in light, and the escape-openings 34 for the workers. may be at other points in thetubethan as shown. The tube may be a single piece of any suitable length to reach the entrance-box G, but asshown it is in several sections telescopically united, whereby it maybe short-- ened or extended to connect separate, b'rood-, chambers superimposed in other relations than as. disclosed in Figs. 9 to 11.

The drone trap.-This device comprises a rectangular case 35 having perforated walls and a centrally-placed outlet cone 36 which registers with the slide-controlled opening 37 in the top of the entrance-box when placed thereover as shown and described in my Letters-Patent, hereinbe'fore identified.

Removal of the top wall or plate of this. case permits tube 33 to be placed over the wire dividing see-i mesh outlet cone 36, and the queen-bee. and

dronespass upward through this tube when swarm ng, their exit outof the front of the entrance-box C being barred-by reason of the plate 9 having perforations of a size which allow only workersto passthrough.

1n the present invention, plate 9 is curvedto this central point but not at either side bring its middle portion closely adjacent to the meeting ends. of the two slidesor shut..-

ters 38 but sufi'iciently retired therefrom, see

Figs. 11 to 12,- to afiord a passage for the workers behind the slides or shutters. In

swarming, the outwardly-bound queen and.

drones naturally take a direotcourse for the narrowed central light-opening but cannot,

escape as they are larger than the. perforar. tions in the plate and they clog; the exits at Where the shutters shield and darken the box. The light being directly underneath. the cone 36' the queen'is quicleto find this' exit and will pass upward with the drones.

' before the swarming bees. return. If the entrance was: not shielded. and arranged in this manner the queen beezmight be delayed in reaching the tube and upper bI'OOdrbOX B,

and the returning swarm would force, the

queen-bee back into the lower.brood-.box B.

The endsof plate 9 are removably seated. in the yertical grooves 39 in the ends of the.

entrance box G, the plate being curved, to

this extent, but the said plate might be.-

straight or of other shape-and secured in any other simple way, providingthatit is slightly separated from the slides to permit the workers to .pass in or out of the boxcar either side of the middle or more ,direct passages when these become clogged.

The rapper br00d-b0w.--This second broodbox 13 is a duplicate of the other and is placed on the surplus-box C with the beeescape board and the swarmingtube 33 when the conditions in the old hive indicate,

that the bees are. about ready to swarm.

When the bees swarm thequeen usuallyigoes' with the swarm, but with nay-improved arrangement-the queen is trapped with the dronesand directed to .the new hive above,

and the swarming bees will return ofv their.

own accord to their queen in the new brood chamber by way of the lower brood-'boxand' the openin 27in the bee-escapeboard, and theythen i'orm, a new colony in the'broodw box B; The bee-keeper can then more the old brood-box to :1, ,new looationor both brood-boxes can be left on the .sarneistand by removing the queen-cells inthe-lower brood-box. s. Thefoentilating cover and cap-An essential feature of this invention resides in the cover E, Fig. 15, which resembles the ordinary cover in shape and size and in that it is provided with two side cleats iO and is adapted to rest inslidable positionbn any one of the sections of the bee-"hive." The i provement comprises a central opening moldingso that the bees may travel between, the parts to and from the notched passage,

wave, 43,; Whcn the cap F is set as shown in Fig. l6 the notches 43 are open to a. chan' net 44:, having a central door 45 in the bottom e of the cap, but the roof of the channel:

ed is beloav the topplane of the molding fi which with the projecting lips 45 on the cap, atve ther side of the door, protect the, ins terior from the direct rays. of light and the weather. The indirect passage thus pro.- vided also serves for ventilation as Well, as an entrance and exit for the bees, but if the beesare to be shut in and thecapmerely, used for ventilation, a, screen 49 is placed.

within or over the opening 40 in the cover, preferablyjn the relations shown in Figs; 9 and 10'. A cover havinga' relatively small; opening is also, of advantage inthat; a new 1 queen can beintrodueed to a colohywithout...

removin the cover and breaking the sealed,

being also shown as resting'on this rarne. When cap F is removed-a queen-mating box.

Mean be, placed on thQcover over opening L1,, to unitev small colonies to the regular colony his is illustratedin Fig. 17 where-.

in the cap. is shownas removed and a queen cage Q,,is seated upon the top barof frame: 10"within opening/l1, a small feed all-R,

located at one side thereof after the queen.-.

breeding season has passed, see Fig. 7,. and

in raising young bees, the colonycan bated,

with abottle 50, see Figs..3and 4.

Zlheu intcr 0as.e.--In extremely coldclimates when it is desirable towinter thebeeson,

thcirsummerstands or in exposed quarters a winter-case K 18 provided which consists:

otawooden frame ofasize to slip over the cover .Dinto rest position upon thecleats 1b of the brood-box C. An absorbent material 55,:such as}. coarse cloth is placed on top of cover D after the cap F is' removed, and a protectingscreen covers openin 4:1 to sup. port the. cloth and also to confi 'lhe.;,feed=cup 4:6. and screen-ring 4.9. may be used in lieu of screened Finally, a loose board 57 ,is. placed over all The filling 55 takes upthemoisture. arising from the in-.

terior otjthe hive and can be changed when,

it becomes sour onmoldy without removing the cover D and breakingsealed joints nor.-

will the colony be disturbed or endangered, Healthyconditions can thus he maintained and. ,weak, ordiseased "colonies can be taken;

care of and by using the entrance boxin connection with this cover and winterrcase the, colony, can easily protect themselves against -ne the bees. when this cloth is removed and-changed;

] both the drones and workers.

other more stronger robbing colonies who in turn would carry disease to their own hives if such protection was not afforded.

The rodent guard.In wintering the bees, the entrance-box G, see Fig. 23, is equipped with a comb or equivalent plate 58 clamped behind the slides or shutters 38 to prevent mice or other rodents from entering the hive and committing damage and theft. The openings, in this comb or plate are too small for such animals but are large enough for The conditions at this time also call for more light at the entrance-box but less draft or intake of cold air, and for this reason, a strip 59 of glass or other transparent material is laid within the elongated openings 60 in the top of the entrance box G. Q .lVhat I claim is: a

1. A bee-hive having a front entrance and a bottom-board having a beveled borderframe projecting from its top and bottom to different heights and provided with stopshoulders at said front entrance in both l beveled portions thereof.

2; A beehive having a bottom-board and a front entrance thereat and provided with 'a .vertical trap-opening in said bottomboard outside of said entrance. in combination with a guarded entrance box at .the front of said entrance and'above 'sa'id trapopening.

3. In a bee hive, a bottom-board having a vertical discharge opening at its front end provided with a horizontally-disposed self closing trap-door adapted to discharge matter deposited thereon. i

4; In a bee-hive, a pair of boxes, in combination with a bee-escape board having openings in its bottom for the working bees only, and a separate side entrance for the queen-bee and drones said board being a re-' movable I intermediate member for said boxes: v T

5. In a bee-hive, a bee-escape board adapted to be used'as an intermediate member between two boxes, having a bottom opening provided with a perforated guard-plate for the passage of the smaller bees only and a side-opening provided with a perforated guard-plate and a recessed border to seat an entrance device. Y

' 6. Ina bee-hive,"'a brood-boxhaving a narrowed central entrance and exit for the bees and direct and indirect passages leading thereto, the indirect passages being shieldedfrom the light, in combination with a second'superposed.brood-box anda beetransfer device open thereto and to the said direct passages at said entrance and exit;

7.'In -a"bee-h1ve,-a brood-box having a narrowed entrance andexlt'opening and a perforated guard inwardly retired therefrom to provide indirect light-shielded pas .sageway's for the bees at both sides, of said opening. i .8. In a bee-hive, a brood-box having an entrance provided with shutters and a per-.

forated guard spaced apart therefrom to provide lateral shaded passages for the bees behind the shutters and in front of the guard.

9. In a beeshive, an entrance box having adjustableshutters and a; perforated plate -removably secured therein in spaced relation behind said shutters to provide lateral passageways in front of. the guard, where by the working bees may pass in or out when the direct passageways are clogged by other bees.

10. Ina bee-hive, a brood-box having a. guarded entrance, a bottomboard having a larvae discharge-opening inside of said guarded entrance opposite, and a swarming tube directly above said discharge-opening.

'11. In a bee-hive, a brood-box having an entrance for said brood-box and shuttersto' decrease or enlarge said entrance, in com bination with a bottom-board having larvae discharge opening centrally located in respect to said entrance, and a guard-plate in .terposed between said opening and said shutters to prevent the escape of the largerbees of the colony.

12. In a bee-hive, a hive section having an open entrance at its bottom, a cover hav-' ing an opening co-acting'with the entrance to ventilate the hive, and means to shade said opening from the light.

1 13. Ina bee-hive, a hive section having an.

entrance provided with means to open and close the same to a greater or less degree, in combination with a cover having a ventilating opening and means to guard the same against admission of light to the hive.

entrance and a pair of shutters to widen or narrow said entrance, in combination with a comb-plate fixed across said entrance to prevent rodents from entering the broodbox and having openings therein large 14. In a bee-hive, a broodbox having an' enough for the free passage of all the 'bees' in the colony.

15. In a bee-hive, a brood-box having entrance and an adjustable door to regulate the admission of air, and an air-excluding p E. M. FISHER, B. Mosnn. 

